Episode 114: Rachel Conn On Re-Watering, Re-Ottering, and Rewilding Watersheds In New Mexico
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About Rachel Conn
As Deputy Director of Amigos Bravos, Rachel advocates for strong and environmentally just local, state, and federal water policy. She provides hands-on support to New Mexico communities and groups working to protect their watersheds. She is a leader in the ongoing campaigns to hold Los Alamos National Lab accountable for pollution, designate more of New Mexico’s waters as Outstanding National Resource Waters, protect New Mexico’s ground and surface water from degradation caused by mining, and advocate for strong water quality standards throughout New Mexico.
Topics
- Re-watering headwaters in northern New Mexico and statewide
- The Amigos Bravos “wetland jewels” program
- Differences between New Mexico’s “bouncing” wetlands and wetlands with standing water and cattails
- River Otter reintroductions in the upper Rio Grande Watershed and possibilities in the Gila watershed
- Restoration work with partners like Biohabitats
Extra Credit
- Visit & Support Amigos Bravos!
- Read: Reintroduction of River Otters to New Mexico
- Subscribe to Biohabitats “Leaf Litter” newsletter to meet more wild advocates like Rachel!
Director of Digital Outreach (D.O.D.O.) for The Rewilding Institute
Host and Producer of the Rewilding Earth Podcast
Jack started Rewilding work as Executive Director of Sky Island Alliance in the mid-1990’s, organizing the Sky Island Wildlands Network design, ripping up illegal roads on forest service lands, installing wolf acclimatization pens on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch & conducting howling surveys to help make way for the final stage of the Lobo reintroduction program in the Southwest.
Through the years, Jack has worked with Dave Foreman and the Rewilding Gang to further Rewilding initiatives and education.
I wonder if you might provide us with some advice. We live near the Gorge Bridge in El Prado,NM, and an asphalt plant has been Grandfathered in to a site adjacent to the Rio Grande Gorge that is currently being used as a rock crushing facility. Asphalt plants are known to emit 97 toxic components, among them formaldehyde which is highly soluble in water. The current equipment used by the owner is old, made from used parts with no modern emissions controls, and monitoring is supposed to be done by the owners. The fox guarding the hen house? We have disputed the permit at county meetings but have been denied at the county level. Is there any way to prevent this project from going forward? Local politics have prevented our fears from being addressed?
I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know much about Amigos Bravos before listening to this. But I’ve been motivated now to take my “change jar” into the bank tomorrow to turn it in to dollars to donate to this important organization.
I will never, ever forget being able to sit and watch a river otter fishing in the Okhay Owingeh lakes late one summer afternoon a decade ago. It gave me goosebumps of joy!